CONVALLARIACEAE. 269 



sion to the rough, mealy flowers.] About 8 species, natives of eastern N. Am. and 



Asia. 



Perianth white, oblong or cylindii^. 1. A. farinosa. 



Perianth yellow, bell-shaped or ovoid-globose. 2. A, aurea. 



1. Aletris farinosa L. Star-grass. Colic-root. (1. F. f. 1023.) Roots 

 tough; scape 4-9 dm. tall, slender, terete, striate. Basal leaves lanceolate or linear- 

 lanceolate, acuminate at the apex, narrowed to the base, spreading, pale, yellowish 

 green, 5-15 cm. long, 6-20 mm. wide; raceme 1-3 dm. long in flower, or longer in 

 fruit, dense, erect; pedicels 2 mm. long or less; bracts subulate ; perianth white, or 

 the oblong lobes yellowish, 6-8 mm. long; style subulate, capsule ovoid, about 

 4 mm. long, loculicidal above. In dry, mostly sandy soil, Me. to Ont., Minn., 

 Fla. and Tenn. May-July. 



2. Aletris aurea Walt. Yellow Colic-root. (I. F. f. 1024.) Basal leaves 

 shorter than those of the preceding, acuminate, narrowed into short petioles. 

 Scape 3-8 dm. tall; raceme 2-6 dm. long, usually loose; pedicels 2 mm. long 

 or less, shorter than the bracts; perianth bell-shaped or ovoid-globose, 4-6 mm. long, 

 its lobes oval ; style short; capsule ovoid, about as long as the perianth. S. N. J. 

 (according to Gray and to Rusby) ; Va. to Fla. and Tex. June-Aug. 



14. YUCCA L. 

 Large plants, with a short sometimes subterranean caudex, or tall woody and 

 leafy stem, or bracted scape, the leaves linear or lanceolate, usually rigid and sharp- 

 pointed, bearing long marginal thread-like fibres in our species. Flowers large, 

 nodding in a terminal raceme or panicle. Perianth campanulate, or nearly globu- 

 lar, white in our species, of 6 ovate, or ovate-lanceolate united segments. Stamens 

 hypogynous, shorter than the perianth; filaments thickened above; anthers small, 

 versatile. Ovary sessile. 3-celled, or imperfectly 6-celled; ovules numerous; style 

 columnar, short, with 3 stigmatic lobes. Fruit a capsule, or fleshy, or spongy and 

 indehiscent. Seeds numerous, flattened, horizontal. [The Haytien name.] About 

 16 species, natives of North and Central America. 



Fruit fleshy, indehiscent, drooping. 1. Y. baccata. 



Fruit an erect capsule. 



Leaves 4-10 mm. wide; scape short, bearing a long raceme. 2. Y. glauca. 



Leaves 2-5 cm. wide; scape 0.6-3 m. high, bearing a large panicle. 



3. Y. filamentosa. 



1. Yucca baccata Torr. Spanish Bayonet. (I. F. f. 1025.) Caudex very 

 short, or sometimes 2.5 m. tall, covered with the reflexed dead leaves. Leaves 

 4-9 dm. long, 2-5 cm. wide, with a much wider base, and a stout brown tip, 

 concave, the marginal fibres 5-12 cm. long; panicle peduncled; pedicels stout; 

 'flowers 1-1.2 dm. broad; perianth-segments 1.5-2.5 cm. wide; style slender; fruit 

 oval, dark purple, indehiscent, edible, drooping 5-8 cm. long, with a 6-grooved 

 beak. W. Kans. (?), S. Colo, to Tex., Cal. and Mex. April-June. 



2. Yucca glauca Nutt. Bear-grass. (I. F. f. 1026.) Caudex very short, 

 leaves basal, narrowly linear, smooth, very stiff, sharp-pointed, 4-10 mm. wide, 

 with a broader base, concave, at least when dry, the marginal fibres filiform; scape 

 short; flowers 3-7 cm. broad, racemose; perianth-segments ovate, 2.5-4 cm. long; 

 style short; pedicels stout, erect ; capsule oblong, about 2.5 cm. thick, 6-sided. In 

 dry soil, Iowa to S. Dak., Wyo., Mo., Tex. and Ariz. May-June. 



3. Yucca filamentosa L. Adam's Needle. (I. F. f. 1027.) Caudex short. 

 Leaves lanceolate, narrowed above the broad base, acuminate and sharp-pointed, 

 flat, roughish, 3-8 dm. long, 1.5-5 cm - wide; scape 0.6-3 m - high; panicle large, 

 its branches divergent or ascending; flowers numerous; perianth-segments 3-6 cm. 

 long, ovate; capsule oblong, about 2 cm. thick. In sandy soil, Md. to Fla., Tenn. 

 and La. Escaped from gardens in Penn. May-July. 



Family 4. CONVALLARIACEAE. Link. 

 Lily-of-lhe- Valley Family. 



Scapose or leafy-stemmed herbs, with simple or branched roolstocks. 

 Flowers solitary, racemose, panicled or umbelled, regular and perfect. 



